CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 16

CASUALTIES.

A report current in Tauranga that a resident of Whangamata h&d been arrested for murder is denied. A fatal fight occurred recently afc Whangamata between a Maori and a European. A young woman named Lydia Baker, who Buffered from brain disease and paralysis, and who died at on the lOtb, yesterday, was an inmate of the Gostley Home, and it is stated on the authority of Dr Scott, who attended her after she was removed from the institution, that while there owing to want of proper appliances for treating her case, she developed bed sores, two of which were on the hips, one being of such depth as to expose the bene for three or four inches. It is also alleged that owing to the fact that the matron of the home has no assistant, he had to attend his case and dress the girl's wounds while the matron was in charge of a maternity case which was ia the home at tha same time, this being a breach of the recognised law of medicine. A fatal accident occurred at the entrance to Nelsoa harbour on the Dight of the 11th. A he ivy fog had come Up the bay, making navigagation somewhat difficult ; but it was not thick enough to prevent the lights being seen gome little distance. About 8 p.m. the Anchor line Bteamer Ohnrles Edward left for Wanganui, and was just in the entrance between Fifeshire Rook and Boulder Bank, when a small cutter belonging to T. Harley, laden with 12 tons of coal from Motupipi, was entering, coming with the tide, and using, sweeps. She had three man on board — Cockie Westrupp (the master) and two men named Frank Bailey, and Tom Nalder. When the steamer was a chain and a half distant all three sang out, and heard the order given immediately to back her hard, full-speed astern. The steamer came on, however, Btriking the cutter in the quarter. ' Bailey aud Nalder managed to scramble on board her, but Westrupp, they believe, jumped overboard, though he could not swim. His cries were heard for some minutes after a boat was lowered, but owing to the thickness he could not be seen, and was given upf or drowned. Both vessels had all lights burning. Immediately behind the cutter the s.s. Graf ton was coming with the tide, under command of a pilot, but when the accident occurred she went astern and went outside again. Thomas Parsons, of Ofcakeho, who went out of his house on the morning of the 11th to ehoot a dog that had been worrying his sheep, was found dead shortly afterwards with a gunshot through him. A settler named John Fulton, was drowned last week by falling in<o the Kankapakapa river, Auckland, while shifting logs, He was alone when the acoidei t took place, but the body was found shortly afcer by his brother. Deceased was a young man. The Gisborne police have received information from the Mahia Peninsula that a man (name not stated) was blown out to sea in an open boat on the night ef the 9th, aud has not since tesn heard of. On Sunday last Stephen Frederick Stone, aged 17, stepson of a fisherman living near Sumner, went out to shoot with two others in a boat, i While getting into a boat his gun, an old one, went off. The charge lodged in his left breast. He is in the Cbristchnrch hospital, in a highly dangerous condition. 1 Wm. Irving a well-known farmer was found dead on the road at Oamaru on Sunday He was last seen riding home aud leading a horse, and it is supposed he was pulled out of the saddle by the horse he was leading and thrown to the ground with violence, as his neck had been broken by the fall. James Bray, of Mount Eden, who is reported to be missing at Helensville, is supposed to have been drowned, as a splash was heard in the xiver last night and someone called out " Ob, my God!" Frank W. Thompson, a labourer, went to the beach at Gisborne on Monday to bathe, and two hours later his clothes were found on the beach. A search led to the discovery of his body in the surf. It is supposed that he fainted on entering the water, because he was a good swimmer and the place where he bathed was quite shallow. Mr J. B. Gresson, solicitor, of Cbristchurch, met with an accident which terminated iv his death near Soutbbrook on Tuesday. He was seated on the platform of the north train, with his face to the engine, when he was suddenly observed to fall. The train was pulled up a few chains further on, and Mr Greeson was found lying in an insensible condition on the rails. It was disoovered that the wheels of one carriage and the guard's van had passed over his shoulder. He soon afterwards regained consciousness, and was removed to Rangiora, and attended by the two local dootors, but he succumbed to his injuries at half-past 12. Mr Beetham, R.M., on his court resuming at 2 o'clock, referred sympathetically to the loss the Bar bad sustained in Mr Gresson, and adjourned the court as a mark of respect to (he deceased. Sir Gresson was a son of the late Judge Gresson, and was a keen sportsman, having acted for many years es one of the Handicapping Committee of the C.J.C. The police received information from Milford that a skull has been found in a watercourse at the top of Cleddau Valley, and it is believed to be that of Quill, one of the Government survey party, who lost his life some weeks ago. No other portion of the body or a particle of clothing could be found. The discovery was made by two brothers of the deceased. From where the remains were found to the top of the cliff over which Quill was supposed to have fallen is 2000 ft, and is almost perpendicular; 80' that death must have been instantaneous.